Document original handling system

ABSTRACT

A reproducing machine including a device for forming an image of information on an original document and a device for transporting the document past the imaging device. The transport device comprises a strip member. The strip member supports the documents and moves past the imaging device to present the documents for forming an image thereof. The strip member may have a plurality of original document receiving pockets.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling sheets or the likecarrying information to be reproduced. For convenience such sheets orthe like are hereinafter and in the claims referred to as originals,although it is to be understood that these may themselves be copies, andbundles of such originals are referred to as documents. Moreparticularly, the invention is concerned with original handlingapparatus for use in photocopying machines, particularlyelectrostatographic copying machines.

It has heretofore been proposed to feed originals to an imaging stationseriatim from a stack. For example, in our U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,515,there is described a recirculating original handling system in whichoriginals are fed seriatim from a supply tray to an imaging station andreturned to the supply for either recycling or removal. The systemincludes a feeder for feeding one original at a time from the bottom ofthe supply to the imaging station and back to the tray, and a bar tosegregate originals returning to the tray from other originals awaitingfeeding, at least until the supply of other originals is used up. Suchapparatus may be programmed to precollate the copies by repetitivelyfeeding the originals in sequence and making one copy of each originalat a time. Or it may be used in conjunction with a sorter in which casemultiple copies limited only by the capacity of the sorter may be madeof each original before the next one is fed, i.e., post-collation.

Documents which are to be duplicated very often consist of only a fewpages, e.g., reports have frequently no more than five pages. It is anobject of the present invention to provide an apparatus for handlingoriginals which is relatively unsophisticated compared with theapparatus described above yet enables pre-collation of the copies from alimited number of originals.

To this end the invention consists in a photocopying machine includingan original illumination station, an original handling apparatuscomprising an endless belt having a plurality of original receivingpockets and means for driving said belt passed said originalillumination station.

The photosensitive surface of a photocopying machine may be exposed to alight pattern of an image of the information on an original to bereproduced by scanning a stationary original using a moving illuminationsource and a moving optical system or by moving the original passed astationary illumination source and optical system. A third method is touse flash exposure where both the light source and the original arestationary during the exposure step. Apparatus of this invention may beutilized in machines employing any of these exposure methods andaccordingly the belt drive means may be arranged to drive the beltcontinuously or stepwise.

The invention is particularly suitable for use in photocopying machinesemploying so called contact exposure in which the original is fedbetween a stationary illumination source and a moving photosensitivesurface, the original being moved in synchronism with the surface andface down to the surface and an image of the information on the originalbeing obtained by illumination through the sheet or the like on which itis supported. In order to protect the original it is usually containedin a transparent envelope. For such use both sides the pockets of a beltof this invention must be transparent (which term as used herein and inthe claims includes translucent). Where the image is obtained byreflecting light from the original, only one side of the pocket need betransparent.

Where the photosensitive surface and the original are to be movedsynchronously during the exposure step, the photosensitive surface isgenerally on a drum or the like and in such case the belt is preferablydriven by a drive taken from the drum or the like.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of one embodiment ofelectrostatographic copying machine according to this invention, and

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the general operation of anelectrostatographic machine as illustrated will first be described withreference to FIG. 1. A moving photoconductive plate, in this instancehaving an endless surface constituting the periphery of a drum 1, isfirst uniformly charged at a charging station 2 and the surface thenexposed at an exposure station represented by a lamp 3 to a lightpattern of the image sought to be reproduced thereby to discharge thecharge in the areas where light strikes the plate surface. Theundischarged areas of the surface thus form an electrostatic chargepattern in conformity with the configuration of the original imagepattern. The embodiment illustrated employs contact exposure in whichthe original is driven past the exposure station, face down to the drumand synchronously with the latter.

The electrostatic latent image is then developed into visible form bythe development system 4 which in this embodiment is a liquiddevelopment system employing the techniques described in U.S. Pat. No.3,084,043 granted Apr. 2, 1963, and schematically represented by anapplicator roll of such a system. As described in that patent the liquiddeveloper is applied to the photoreceptor by an applicator in the formof a roll having a peripheral surface comprising lands and valleys suchthat the liquid developer is contained in the valleys such that theliquid developer is contained in the valleys out of contact with thephotoreceptor, while the surfaces of the lands are in contact with thephotoreceptor. In such an arrangement, the liquid developer is attractedfrom the valleys to the electrostatic latent image in imageconfiguration. The illustrated embodiment exemplifies a typical exampleof such an arrangement in which the applicator is a rigid cylindricalmember having on its surface a pattern of grooves and ridges whichcomprise the lands and valleys respectively, the liquid developer beingmaintained in the valleys below the surface of the lands.

As the photoreceptor surface bearing the electrostatic latent image andthe applicator are brought into moving contact the liquid developer isdrawn to the photoreceptor from the valleys of the applicator roll bythe charges which form the electrostatic latent image.

The development system of the illustrated embodiment may be constructedas desired.

Subsequent to the development operation the now visible image istransferred from the plate to a sheet of final support material 5, suchas paper or the like, thereby to form a permanent print, at a transferstation schematically illustrated by a transfer roll 6. The paper issuitably supplied using known techniques from a supply tray 7 and thecopies produced collected in a bin or tray 8.

Following transfer, the drum surface is cleaned of residual developermaterial at cleaning station 9 suitably by means of a blade 10 arrangedat a leading angle to the direction of drum rotation and collected in asump 11 for subsequent disposal. The drum surface is finally illuminatedat 12 to remove any remaining charge therefrom.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the original handling apparatus of thisinvention comprises an endless belt 20, formed for example by seamingtogether the ends of a strip, having a plurality of axially spacedoriginal pockets 21 along its length on its exterior face. The belt isof transparent plastics material and the pockets are formed by weldingsheets of plastics material to the belt along three edges thereofleaving an opening for the insertion and removal of originals to becopied. Suitable plastics materials are polyvinylchloride and apolyester, e.g., Mylar. The belt extends over two pairs of sprockets 22mounted on axles 23, 24, and the belt has sprocket holes 19 accuratelypunched or otherwise formed along the side edges thereof. In order toensure that the movement of the belt 20 is synchronized with that of thedrum 1, the belt is driven directly from the drum. To this end, the axle24 carries at one end a gear 25 which meshes with a drive gear 18 on theend of the drum 1 (FIG. 2).

The axles 23, 24, are suitably relatively adjustable for loading andunloading of the belt to permit the use of belts having differingnumbers and/or sizes of pockets. Or cassette loading of different beltsmay be employed. Such a cassette may comprise a housing or framesupporting a belt mounted on the sprockets 22. In the case of cassetteloading, the drive suitably comprises a spindle 26 onto which one of thesprocket pairs is loaded and which carries a pulley 27 driven via a belt28 from a pulley 29 on the spindle of the drum 1 (FIG. 1).

In operation, the pages of a document to be copied are loaded into thepockets 21 either before loading of the belt into the apparatus or whileit is in position on the sprockets 22 in which case means should beprovided to disengage the sprockets from the drive thereby to allow themto freewheel during loading of the originals. The copying machine isthen started up and operates in the manner generally described above,each pocket being repeatedly driven passed the exposure station 3. Inthis way, the copies will be produced serially in the correct order,i.e., pre-collated.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to thespecific details referred to herein without departing from the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a reproducing machine including means forforming an image of information on an original and means fortransporting said original past said imaging means the improvementwherein, said transport means comprises:a strip member having aplurality of original receiving pockets and means for moving said memberpast said imaging means with said pockets arranged to present saidoriginals to said imaging means for forming said image.
 2. A machine asin claim 1, wherein said strip member is replaceably mounted.
 3. Amachine as in claim 1, wherein said strip member is supported in aremovable cassette.
 4. A machine as in claim 1, wherein said pockets areformed of a transparent material.
 5. A machine as in claim 1, whereinsaid machine comprises an electrostatographic copying machine andwherein said imaging means comprises an imaging surface arranged formovement, means for forming an electrostatic image on said movingimaging surface, and further including means for developing saidelectrostatic image and means for transferring said developed image to asheet of final support material.
 6. A machine as in claim 5, furtherincluding means for synchronizing the movement of said strip member withthe movement of said imaging surface, and further wherein said imagingsurface comprises a photoconductive imaging surface whereby saiddocuments can be serially presented to said imaging means.
 7. A machineas in claim 6, wherein said imaging means includes contact exposuremeans, and wherein said pockets are spaced apart along said strip in thedirection of its movement.
 8. A reproducing machine as in claim 1,wherein said strip member comprises an endless belt.
 9. A machine as inclaim 8, wherein said belt member is replaceably mounted.
 10. A machineas in claim 8, wherein said belt member is supported in a removablecassette.
 11. A machine as in claim 8, wherein said belt member isformed of a transparent material.
 12. A machine as in claim 8, whereinsaid machine comprises an electrostatographic copying machine andwherein said imaging means comprises an imaging surface arranged formovement, means for forming an electrostatic image on said movingimaging surface, and further including means for developing saidelectrostatic image and means for transferring said developed image to asheet of final support material.
 13. A machine as in claim 12, furtherincluding means for synchronizing the movement of said strip member withthe movement of said imaging surface, and further wherein said imagingsurface comprises a photoconductive imaging surface, whereby saiddocuments can be serially recirculated past said imaging means.
 14. Amachine as in claim 13, wherein said imaging means includes contactexposure means, and wherein said pockets are spaced apart along saidstrip in the direction of its movement.
 15. In a reproducing machineincluding means for forming an image of information on an original, saidimaging means including a curved imaging surface, and means fortransporting said original past said imaging surface, the improvementwherein, said transport means comprises: a strip member having aplurality of original receiving pockets and means for moving said memberand originals supported in said pockets past said imaging means topresent said originals to said imaging means for forming said image, andwherein said strip member is deflected about said imaging surface toform a curved nip therebetween.
 16. A machine as in claim 15, whereinsaid strip member is formed of a transparent material and furtherincluding means positioned behind said strip member for illuminatingsaid originals through said strip member at said nip.
 17. A machine asin claim 16, wherein said strip member is replaceably mounted.
 18. Amachine as in claim 16, wherein said strip member is supported in aremovable cassette.
 19. A machine as in claim 16, further includingmeans for synchronizing the movement of said strip member with themovement of said imaging surface, and further wherein said imagingsurface comprises a photoconductive imaging surface whereby saidoriginal can be serially presented to said imaging means.
 20. Areproducing machine as in claim 19, wherein said strip member comprisesand endless belt.
 21. A machine as in claim 19, wherein said machinecomprises an electrostatographic copying machine and wherein saidimaging means comprises an imaging surface arranged for movement, meansfor forming an electrostatic image on said imaging surface, and furtherincluding means for developing said electrostatic image and means fortransferring said developed image to a sheet of final support material.